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Parking fines increase 32% to 754,000 in Q1 2026, says Parkin
Parkin’s field enforcement team scanned 10.2 million vehicle registration plates, while its smart inspection car fleet scanned a total of 20.6 million vehicle plates during Q1 2026
- PUBLISHED: Thu 7 May 2026, 8:02 AM
The number of parking fines issued by Parkin Company increased by 32 per cent to 754,300 in the first quarter of 2026, compared to 569,300 in the same period last year, as the company continued to expand its portfolio and introduce a new smart scan car camera system.
The Dubai-based company said it issued 280,000 fines in January, 253,000 in February and 221,000 in March this year.
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“The increase in issued fines reflects the continued expansion of the company’s parking portfolio and the sustained impact of technology- and efficiency-driven enhancements to our enforcement framework,” the Dubai-listed company said in its quarterly results.
In February 2026, it commenced a trial of an alternative smart scan car camera system by installing the technology on a single inspection vehicle.
The roof-mounted scan camera system is designed for deployment in some of Dubai’s more congested areas, reducing the need for on-foot field inspections.
“This approach is expected to be particularly effective during the summer months, when daytime temperatures in Dubai can exceed 45°C. The company’s smart scan inspection fleet increased from 27 to 28 vehicles during the quarter,” it said.
During January-March 2026, the field enforcement team scanned a total of 10.2 million vehicle registration plates, a 115 per cent increase compared to Q1 2025. Meanwhile, its fleet of smart inspection cars scanned a total of 20.6 million vehicle registration plates, a 64 per cent increase from 12.5 million in the same period last year.
“On the enforcement front, we continued to leverage our technology-enabled smart scan car inspection fleet, complemented by targeted, data-driven field deployment to reinforce compliance across the network,” said Eng. Mohamed Abdulla Al Ali, CEO of Parkin.
The largest provider of paid public parking facilities and services in Dubai said its enforcement revenue increased by 46 per cent to Dh119.7 million in Q1 2026, up from Dh81.8 million in Q1 2025. The overall fine collection rate stood at 88 per cent during the quarter, up from 85 per cent in Q1 2025.
Profit and revenues
Net income for the period increased 36 per cent to a record Dh185.1 million, compared to Dh136.6 million in Q1 2025, driven by higher revenue and marginally lower finance costs, partially offset by increased operating expenses, depreciation and tax.
Its revenues jumped 41 per cent to Dh384.2 million during the January-March 2026 period.
Public parking revenue increased 15 per cent to Dh130.3 million, supported by an increase in the weighted average hourly tariff to Dh3.02, compared to Dh2 in Q1 2025.
Average revenue per public parking spot increased 11 per cent, from Dh608 in Q1 2025 to Dh672 in Q1 2026.
“During the quarter, we continued to expand our operational footprint, adding both public and developer parking spaces to our portfolio. Total transaction volumes and utilisation were softer, reflecting the impact of the regional geopolitical situation and a longer Eid Al Fitr holiday period relative to last year. It is also worth noting that utilisation comparisons with Q1 2025 are not directly meaningful, as variable pricing had not yet come into effect during that period,” he added.
Parking spaces
The total number of parking spaces at the end of Q1 increased by 23 per cent to 258,000, compared to 209,000 in Q1 2025, driven by additions across the entire portfolio, including public, developer and multi-storey parking facilities, with developer parking accounting for the largest contribution.
Public parking spaces increased by 8,100, or four per cent, to 195,200 spaces in Q1 2026.
“Looking ahead, we remain confident in the structural strengths of our business and in Parkin's ability to navigate the current operating environment. We are keeping our FY2026 revenue guidance under review and expect to provide the market with a revised assessment alongside our Q2 2026 results in early August,” the company said.
